The hot stove just got hotter.
After Matt Kemp signed a massive $160 million 8-year contract extension back in 2011, Kemp hasn’t exactly made good on his part of the deal. After a series of nagging injuries, his star has fallen considerably from his breakout MVP caliber season two years ago.
Kemp’s agent Dave Stewart now is under the full impression that the Dodgers will in fact be trading the star outfielder away. Monday night during the winter meetings, Stewart said “something was brewing” in the trade talks involving Kemp.
The Dodgers are already top heavy when it comes to outfielders, already holding Carl Crawford, Andre Eithier, Yasiel Puig and of course Kemp. Not to mention, the Dodgers’ top prospect is 21-year-old center fielder Joc Pederson. So someone’s going to be on the outside looking in soon enough.
After having ankle surgery back in October, Kemp is not expected to be 100% going into spring training, his future is looking very much up in the air. Kemp is still owed $128 million for the next six years, so simply trading him away is easier said than done unless the Dodgers are desperate enough to eat away what’s left just to ship him away.
Kemp’s tenure in LA could be drawing to a close.
H/T: ESPN LA